Specsavers Championship, Monday, September 25, 2017

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3rd & 7 37yd

START DELAYED DUE TO BAD LIGHT???

by Will Colwell 9/25/2017 9:28:09 AM
or in March in front of 6 spectators in Abu Dhabi

by Will Colwell 9/25/2017 9:27:53 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Start delayed due to bad light), Lancashire v Surrey at Manchester

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:27:47 AM
Maybe it could be the 7th team in Div one plays a play off against the 2nd team in div 2, presumably in November with a polar bear as umpire

by nickcricket 9/25/2017 9:26:56 AM
gotta say, if it was 1/8 going down then the Div 1 season would have been all but wrapped up midway through T20 season

by Will Colwell 9/25/2017 9:25:01 AM
Two out of 8 going down is great for creating pressurised situations which is surely what everyone wants?

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:24:23 AM
I'm really not trying to make this a UKIPpy debate, just one with a few numbers to back up the arguments we have anyway

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:23:59 AM
With the number of T20 comps and volume of International Cricket even rich counties would struggle to get two players of Test quality adept in England conditions and if they could it wouldn't be for the whole season

by nickcricket 9/25/2017 9:23:32 AM
Indeed, 48 South African born county cricketers this year (some overseas, some Kolpak, some EU passport, some English parents, not making that distinction yet). All but three white (and two of the non-white are 'proper' overseas).

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:23:27 AM
Oh, by the way, I don't like Hampshire and I was accused of having a chip on my shoulder for suggesting that things will change to a 'one up one down' system in a couple of years. Craig White, after Hampshires defeat on Friday suggested that two teams being relegated out of eight was unfair and the set up needed looking at...that didn't take long did it?

by Dave Knibb 9/25/2017 9:22:14 AM
@StaggerBreaths I don't agree, I would rather Counties were able to play two overseas capable of playing International Cricket for the good of the game as a whole

by nickcricket 9/25/2017 9:21:05 AM
The thing with South Africa is that they only have 30 professional contracts for whites, who I guess still make up most of the expensive private school population who get they best training so at a certain point those players who think they will be overlooked (Kenton Jennings for example) will look else where. NZ has quite a few in the category

by nickcricket 9/25/2017 9:18:45 AM
Obviously Yorkshire have a huge catchment area, so something like the 15 for Worcestershire is maybe even more impressive

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:17:49 AM
A quick recap of the permutations in the Div 1 relegation battle:
- if Somerset fail to win they are relegated
- if Hampshire avoid defeat away at Warwickshire they are safe
- if Yorkshire avoid defeat away at Essex, or come within 2 of Middlesex's bonus points total, they are safe
- if Middlesex avoid defeat away at Somerset, or score 1 bonus point more than Somerset, they are safe

by Will Colwell 9/25/2017 9:17:33 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Inspection at 10:45am), Gloucestershire v Derbyshire at Bristol

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:17:18 AM
*rule

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:17:05 AM
I think you'd need to keep the 'one proper overseas' role though. Else you get something ridiculous like a richer county (Surrey) fielding Amla, Sanga, and Aaron Finch.

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:16:27 AM
At the risk of inflating egos that don't need it, there are 25 professional cricketers who started their careers at Yorkshire for example, eight of which play for other clubs

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:16:03 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Start delayed due to rain), Sussex v Nottinghamshire at Hove

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:15:45 AM
Tbh I'm not that fussed about Kolpaks, it's about developing young players. Leics have a lot of Kolpaks, but they also have a lot of alumni stolen off them by other clubs, and the Kolpaks fill some of those gaps. I'm more interested in seeing who develops the most players and who isn't pulling their weight...

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:15:14 AM
I suppose a compromise, after Brexit would be to say that each county can play 3 'non' qualified England players, irrespective as to whether they are 'overseas' or 'kolpaks'.

by Dave Knibb 9/25/2017 9:13:56 AM
Arguably the bigger problem is Sussex depriving WI of Archer, and perhaps Jordan.

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:11:49 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Play due to start at 11am), Essex v Yorkshire at Chelmsford

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:11:48 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Play due to start at 10:45am), Lancashire v Surrey at Manchester

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:11:10 AM
The fat Kolpaks are very unlikely to play at international level again, even without quotas, and Kleinveldt fits so well (and probably snugly) into championship cricket. I'm less fussed about Northants.

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:10:13 AM
Just the three spinners for Somerset (Rofl van der Merwe in for the injured Trego)

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:09:59 AM
van der Merwe in for Trego - Somerset name three spinners

by Will Colwell 9/25/2017 9:09:57 AM
@SB Its certainly a tricky one. I'd rather Hampshire go down but thats also because of Rod 'i'm alright Jack' Bransgrove.

by Dave Knibb 9/25/2017 9:09:56 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Start delayed due to a wet outfield), Gloucestershire v Derbyshire at Bristol

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:09:45 AM
@DaveKnibb Hampshire, but that's more of an emotional thing. Notts. have picked the point where Durham's at its lowest ebb and rifled two players off their books: the four players lost of late (including Stoneman and Badger to Surrey) have played a large part in changing Durham from 'creditable first division' to 'deservedly bottom of the second'. Meanwhile South Africa remain reasonably strong, despite losing Abbott and Harmer. Morkel would be taking the urine though.

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:07:45 AM
George Dobell on is what is set to be a (page) turner at Taunton.

by George.Dobell edited by David Hopps 9/25/2017 9:07:44 AM
Paul Edwards reports on a dank morning at New Road.

by Paul Edwards edited by Andrew McGlashan 9/25/2017 9:07:07 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Start delayed due to rain), Warwickshire v Hampshire at Birmingham

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:06:05 AM
I haven't got weight just yet...

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:05:48 AM
In defence of Northants, we only use fat Kolpaks...

by Dave Knibb 9/25/2017 9:05:12 AM
Middlesex name one spinner in Patel

by Will Colwell 9/25/2017 9:05:05 AM
But yes, I have data on current sides, first sides (slightly difficult in some cases), places of birth, ages and national teams. Can make a few interesting points out of all that at least.

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:04:14 AM
If you have a choice of the Hampshire Kolpaks or the Notts Poachers in Div.1, which would you choose?

by Dave Knibb 9/25/2017 9:04:02 AM
Kolpaking? Kolpakking? Kolpakkking?

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:03:45 AM
Abell's biggest contribution of the season (I joke, but only just!)

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:03:34 AM
Bugger. That's div. 2 settled for Middlesex then. Unless Hampshire or someone fancies folding wetly in a heap.

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:03:11 AM
TOSS: Somerset won the toss and elected to bat
Somerset v Middlesex at Taunton - Sep 25-28, 2017

by ESPNcricinfo Live 9/25/2017 9:02:38 AM
I was pondering this. Poaching is 'stealing' players from a county, Kolpakking is 'stealing' from a country, so theoretically the latter should be worse. But quite a few of the Kolpaks will never play at international level again, which levels things out. Of course you then have Abbott and Harmer and the like, Abbott being the worst as he was actually in the Test squad when filched.

In summary, I don't know. Leaning towards Kolpaking.

by StaggerBreaths 9/25/2017 9:02:38 AM
big toss won by Abell, Somerset bat first

by Will Colwell 9/25/2017 9:02:28 AM
I must say, the biggest surprise of doing this data collection so far has been how much it's improved my knowledge of South African geography (and politics, because geography is politics in SA)

by NemoUKS 9/25/2017 9:01:48 AM